Blog List

Not so super

February 4, 2012 - Mike McLain

It's now the day before the Super Bowl and once again Browns' fans everywhere are wondering when their favorite team will play in the NFL's showcase event.

The Browns are on of four teams that have never played in the game -- the others are Detroit, Jacksonville and Houston. Houston and Jacksonville have excuses having been recent expansion teams. The Browns, who've been around since 1950, and Lions have no excuses.

To make matter worse for the Browns, they're the only one of the forgotten four that hasn't hosted a Super Bowl in their town. Looking at it that way, the city of Cleveland is the only city in the NFL that has never tasted any of the Super Bowl action.

It would be foolish to say that the situation will change any time soon. The Browns still have many issues, most notably at quarterback. Do they stick with Colt McCoy, draft Baylor's Robert Griffin III or sign a veteran free agent?

The Browns still can't be sure that coach Pat Shurmur is the man to lead them into the distant future. The door to the head coach's office in Berea has never stopped opening and closing since the expansion season of 1999, and it might not stop swinging for awhile longer.

All that fans have is the hope that president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert have a grasp on what they're doing. Their first two offseasons can be viewed favorably, especially Heckert's selections in the draft, but it could all go south if they don't make the right choices this offseason.

Two number one picks and a high second-round choice give the Browns three of the first 37 picks. Three prime picks and plenty of money to spend below the salary cap means a chance to make major improvements.

It can't be forgotten what happened the last time the Browns had three picks in the first two rounds. The first pick, center Alex Mack, has been solid, but second-round receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi haven't panned out. Robiskie was a bust and was waived. Massaquoi is injury-prone and when healthy isn't a top-two receiver.

While watching the big game Sunday, fans can only dream of the day when the Browns willl be one of the participants. You'd like to think it might be before the end of the century.